June 11, 2018 7:28am EDTJune 11, 2018 7:28am EDTBasketball, NBA, Phoenix Suns, EnglishDeandre Ayton said he expects to be the No. 1 pick, but there is far more to this draft than who the Suns take.Deandre Ayton(Getty Images)

Arizona's Deandre Ayton said he knows he is going No. 1 overall to the Suns, but there is so much more to this draft than one pick.

Ayton is very important though, and he kicks off our dozen names to know before the draft gets started.

A dozen names to know before the NBA draft

1. Deandre Ayton, C, Arizona — While his name was more known because of controversy surrounding how he came to sign with the Wildcats, the young man's game is why he'll be remembered. At 7 feet, 243 pounds, Ayton can protect the rim and stretch a defense with his shooting ability. He is seen as the top prospect in the draft.

2. Marvin Bagley III, PF, Duke — The No. 1 recruit in the nation in the 2018 class before he reclassified for 2017, all he did was come in as basically a high school senior and dominate the ACC, one of the best conferences in college basketball. He is thin but shows a knack for rebounding and scoring outsid,e and his shooting improved greatly in his one year in Durham, N.C.

3. Luke Doncic, PG, Slovenia (Real Madrid) — A darkhorse for the No. 1 pick since the Suns signed his coach from the Slovenian national team, Doncic has small forward size with point-guard passing ability. He's not the fastest or quickest player, but his basketball IQ is off the charts and his ability to shoot makes him an incredibly difficult PG to defend.

4. Jaren Jackson Jr., PF, Michigan State — One of the youngest players in the draft (he turns 19 in September), Jackson at times overshadowed teammate Miles Bridges on one of the best teams in the country at Michigan State. Jackson is a great rim protector with a 7-4 wingspan, and he can stretch the floor as well.

5. Mo Bamba, C, Texas — Bamba set the record for wingspan at the NBA combine (8 feet), and he may have the highest ceiling of anyone in the draft. He, like Jackson and Ayton, can stretch the floor and protect the rim. He could add some weight as well, which would help in the rough-and-tumble paint in the NBA.

6. Michael Porter Jr., PF, Missouri — Once seen as in the running for the first-overall pick, Porter's one season at Mizzou was derailed by a back injury. However, when he is healthy and at his best, he has been compared to Kevin Durant with his size, athleticism and ability to both shoot and create his own shot.

7. Wendell Carter Jr., C, Duke — The second of Duke's twin towers, Carter is a true center who muscles up defenders inside and has a ton of post moves. He also can step out and hit a shot as well while serving as a more than solid defender.

8. Mikal Bridges, SF, Villanova — A small forward with long arms, defensive ability and a shooting prowess that has become a trademark of Jay Wright's teams, Bridges is a smart, mature player who could step right in and start on an NBA team.

9. Grayson Allen, PG, Duke — Probably the most polarizing player in the draft, Allen was seen as a first-round pick after his freshman season but wound up staying all four years at Duke. He can shoot, has good athleticism and plays solid defense, but he also has made news for throwing a tantrum on the sideline and drawing a suspension for tripping opponents multiple times in games.

10. Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma — A young man who gets Stephen Curry comps, Young burst onto the scene to start the season, setting the NCAA single-game assists record with 22 in November. He shot the lights out to begin the year but faded as the season went on as he faced tougher competition and wore down, a concern with a long NBA season. Still, when he was fresh, there was no better 3-point shooter in college basketball.

11. Hamidou Diallo, SG, Kentucky — Last year, he almost became the first player to be drafted out of college having never played a minute at that level simply because of his off-the-charts measureables (example: 44 1/2-inch vertical leap). He instead decided to come back for his sophomore year and showed his basketball skills would translate to the NBA level.

12. Tony Carr, PG, Penn State — A proven scorer who averaged 19.6 points per game as a sophomore at Penn State last season, Carr can attack the rim and he increased his 3-point shooting percentage from 32.0 to 43.3 in his second season with the Nittany Lions. Carr, who averaged five assists per game in 2017-18, is also a good distributor.